Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Forest Health
Highlights
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Acknowledgments
Forest Health Highlights is a summary of the condition of Michigans forests during
2015 and the work done to preserve and protect them by Forest Resources Division,
Department of Natural Resources, www.michigan.gov/foresthealth.
Written by
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Forest Resources Division
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Michigan State University Department of Forestry and the Department of Entomology
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service
Photographs and design by
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Forest Resources Division
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service
Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Michigan State University
Maps and other information provided by
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service and
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Michigan State University Extension
Cover photo: The redheaded pine sawfly, Neodiprion lecontei, is native to Michigan and much of eastern North America. The larvae feed in
colonies and consume both new and old foliage. During outbreaks, multiple colonies can attack young trees and cause complete defoliation and
tree mortality. The preferred hosts in Michigan are jack pine and red pine. Young plantations less than 15 feet in height are at greatest risk.
Photo by Michigan Department of Natural Resources forest health technician Scott Lint.
Table of Contents
Forest Resource Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Feature: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Balsam Woolly Adelgid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Aerial Survey Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Insects & Diseases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Spruce Budworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Redheaded Pine Sawfly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
White Pine Decline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Heterobasidion Root Disease. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Oak Wilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Beech Bark Disease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Asian Longhorned Beetle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Jack Pine Budworm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Eastern Larch Bark Beetle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Lecanium Scale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Weather Impact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Forest Health Cooperators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Michigan State University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Muskegon Co.
(2015)
Emmet Co.
(2006, 2007,
2010)
Ottawa Co.
(2010)
Ottawa Co.
(2010, 2015)
Macomb Co.
(2010)
Allegan Co.
(2013)
Berrien Co.
(2012)
Macomb Co.
(2010)
many new and improved features over the Digital Aerial Sketch
Mapping (DASM) system currently being used around the country.
Beta testing has proceeded well enough that the Michigan Forest
Health Program used the new system operationally across the state
in 2015. This effort represents the largest set of data collected using
DMSM to date.
DMSM offers new efficiencies and capabilities the old system was
lacking. The new system uses an Android operating system and
is currently being used on several different-sized tablets. This
makes it extremely flexible not only for aerial mapping but also for
ground checking.
Legend
Rivers and Lakes
Grid cell with EAB mortality
Digital Mobile Sketch Mapping grid cell mapping emerald ash borer damage.
summer. Note the use of smaller grid cells along riparian areas
where the mortality and the host trees are concentrated, compared
to the larger grid cells used to capture more diffuse damage in other
parts of the landscape.
With this seasons successful pilot-testing of the DMSM, the DNR
anticipates full rollout of this system in Michigan for the 2016 season.
The grid cell system was used successfully to collect emerald ash
borer mortality for the first time in Iosco and Arenac counties this
2015 Forest Health Highlights - 11
Spruce Budworm
It appears that Michigan has entered the beginning years of the next
regional spruce budworm (SBW; Choristoneura fumiferana) outbreak.
The entire western Upper Peninsula, areas in the eastern Upper
Peninsula and areas in the northeastern Lower Peninsula were
defoliated by SBW for the second consecutive year.
Epidemics of spruce budworm periodically cause extensive
defoliation and tree mortality in spruce and fir forests across the
northeastern United
States and Canada.
Historically, epidemics
have occurred on a 30to 50-year cycle. The
last epidemic ended in
Michigan in 1982.
Budworm populations
have been building
in isolated areas of
susceptible forests in
the Upper Peninsula
Spruce budworm damage on new growth.
for the past decade.
Susceptible forests are
those where balsam fir and spruce are stressed and abundant, and
where balsam fir average age is greater than 50 years.
Recently, populations have been rising to high levels one year, only
to collapse the next.
Beginning in 2014, however, areas of heavy defoliation
remained heavy in 2015. In addition, defoliation was much more
widespread across the western Upper Peninsula this year. Once
SBW populations become widespread, all spruce and fir trees are
subject to some level of defoliation.
The Insect
The SBW is one of the most destructive native insects in the
northern spruce and fir forests of the eastern United States and
Canada. Periodic outbreaks of the spruce budworm are part of the
natural cycle of events associated with the maturing of balsam fir.
White and black spruce are also hosts, with limited feeding occurring
on tamarack, pine and hemlock.
Since 1909, there have been waves of budworm outbreaks
throughout the eastern United States and Canada. The states most
often affected are Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Michigan,
Minnesota and Wisconsin. SBW outbreaks last for 10 to 15 years and
2015 Forest Health Highlights - 13
White spruce stands are a source of cover and food for some species
of game. Moose and hares frequent these forests but seldom eat
white spruce, while red squirrels and spruce grouse live in these
forests and also feed on parts of the tree. Prey species (furbearers)
such as marten, wolverine, lynx, wolves and others also reside in
these forests.
The most important products made from balsam fir wood are
pulpwood and lumber. The major use of balsam fir lumber is for
light-frame construction. Minor uses include paneling, crates, and
other products not requiring high structural strength.
White spruce is a source of wood fiber and lumber products as well.
Lesser-known uses of white spruce wood are for house logs, musical
instruments, paddles, and various boxes and containers.
U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis estimates that
Michigan has 174 million balsam fir trees with a volume of 919
million board feet, and 69 million white spruce trees with a volume
of 2,333 million board feet.
The Insect
The red-headed pine sawfly is an important defoliator of young twoneedle pines. Plantations less than 15 feet tall are most susceptible
to economic injury.
Heaviest infestations occur commonly on pines growing under
stress, particularly those at the edges of hardwood forests, on poor
soils, or where there is heavy competitive vegetation.
The sawfly prefers edge trees. Repeated defoliation can cause
top kill, forking and tree mortality. A single moderate to heavy
defoliation stunts height growth of infested trees. Complete
defoliation is usually sufficient to kill red pine and jack pine.
The larvae feed in colonies containing a few to over a hundred
larvae. Early damage is similar to that of most other coniferousfeeding sawflies. It is characterized by the reddish-brown, straw-like
16 - 2015 Forest Health Highlights
Scale insect
identified by arrows.
Oak Wilt
Oak wilt is an aggressive tree disease that affects many species of
oak (Quercus spp.). It is one of the most serious tree diseases in the
eastern United States, killing thousands of oaks each year in forests,
woodlots and home landscapes. Once introduced to an area, oak
wilt spreads through root connections to adjacent oak trees.
Oak wilt was first identified in 1944. The fungal pathogen that causes
the disease, Ceratocystis fagacearum, is an exotic pathogen. Difficulty
in isolating and identifying the fungus delayed recognition of the
extent of its impact until the 1980s.
The oak wilt fungus moves in two ways: it is transported from treeto-tree through underground root connections, and it is spread
overland by sap beetles that carry oak wilt spores.
Oak wilt invades new areas when the fungus is carried by sap beetles
from infected wood (e.g., a tree, log or firewood) to a fresh wound on a
healthy oak. Trees killed by oak wilt produce spore pads the following
year. Sap beetles are attracted to these pads, where they feed and pick
up spores. The beetles are also attracted to fresh wounds.
Oak wilt infects a wounded oak when the tree is visited by sporecarrying sap beetles between April 15 and July 15. Most new oak
wilt outbreaks can be traced to damage from pruning, construction
and other tree-wounding activities, and from heavy winds.
Oak wilt is established widely in the southern Lower Peninsula, with
spotty distribution in the northern Lower and Upper peninsulas. As
people move northward into forested areas, the risk of spreading
this disease increases. People unknowingly cut oak wilt-killed trees
for firewood. Infected wood is then taken to camps or on camping
trips, where it will serve as a source of inoculum to infect nearby
20- 2015 Forest Health Highlights
Pulling stumps of newly infected trees prevents the oak wilt fungus from moving
through roots to other trees.
Remove oak wilt from state forest land in the Upper Peninsula
by detecting and treating infection centers.
Educate affected communities to prevent the reintroduction of
oak wilt.
Demonstrate an approach that can be used for detecting and
effectively removing the threat of oak wilt throughout Michigan.
This years project focus was the Shakey Lakes Area of
Menominee County. Thirty five oak wilt pockets totaling 116.5
acres were isolated by creating 26,845 feet of root-graft barriers
with a vibratory plow. All red oaks within these pockets will
be removed via timber sales before April 2016. All sites were
reviewed and treatments approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, affected Native American tribes and the State Historic
Preservation Office.
Lower Peninsula
Upper Peninsula
The Forest Service has provided Oak Wilt Suppression funds to help
remove oak wilt from Michigans forests. The DNR and Michigan
State University Extension worked together in 2015 to:
22- 2015 Forest Health Highlights
The vibratory plow blade used to treat infected stands of oak was specially designed
and built at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Forest Fire Experiment
Station in Roscommon. The plow cuts narrow trenches 5 feet deep to separate
underground root systems, preventing further spread of the oak wilt fungus to
uninfected trees.
It has been standard practice on state land to remove all red oaks from
within these treatment lines to prevent the progression of the disease
and the formation of pressure pads. This has been at times labor
intensive and logistically challenging.
In response, two smaller sites were selected this year and the
remaining red oaks within the treatment lines at these sites were
treated with injections of propiconazole in hopes of preventing the
development of symptoms.
The Michigan
Department of
Natural Resources
Forest Health
Program is testing
use of funcides
as a potential
treatment option
of oak wilt.
This is the fifth year the PRD surveyors have carefully searched for
signs of ALB in 73 state parks and recreational facilities. This effort
was initially support by a U.S. Forest Service grant. With the expiration
of the federal grant, PRD adopted and resourced the ALB survey
program, along with surveys for other invasive forest pests like
hemlock woolly adelgid and oak wilt.
ALB continues to be intercepted in warehouses and at ports in many
areas of North America. Quarantines have been established to prevent
these introductions and to prevent accidental spread of ALB from
infested areas. All infested trees are being removed, chipped and
burned. Regulations on solid wood packing material from China have
2015 Forest Health Highlights - 29
Lecanium Scale
It is not unusual to find Lecanium scales on oaks and maples.
Occasionally, high scale populations reduce tree vigor enough to
cause branch mortality. Landscape or ornamental trees are most
commonly affected.
Scales typically infest smaller branches and twigs during the spring
and early summer. Eggs are produced underneath the female in
late spring. Eggs hatch in early summer and the immature insects
seek feeding sites on the underside of leaves.
In late summer, they migrate to twigs where they overwinter.
Insect parasites and predators are normally effective in controlling
infestations. Insecticides targeting immature scales in early-to
mid-summer are effective.
Weather Impact
A Cool Wet Spring: My Trees Dont Look So Good
After suffering through two years of extremely cold winters in 2013
and 2014, many areas of Michigan were lambasted by a hard, latespring frost in May 2015. Many newly developing oak leaves were
killed by this late frost. Oak canopies with heavy leaf loss developed
new leaves by late in June. This killing frost was followed by
unseasonably cool, wet weather through much of June. As a result,
maple and oak tree leaves were subject to attack by leaf fungi. The
most common leaf blight was caused by Anthracnose fungi.
Anthracnose
Anthracnose diseases of hardwood trees are widespread throughout
the eastern United States. The most common symptom of these
diseases is dead areas or blotches on the leaves. Because of the
blackened and scorched appearance of the leaves, these diseases
are often called leaf blights.
Symptoms vary somewhat, depending on the host. Under certain
conditions, the whole leaf dies and falls prematurely. On some tree
species, the diseases may also damage twigs, shoots, buds and fruits.
Anthracnose fungi attack numerous hardwood species, including
ash, basswood, birch, elm, hickory, horsechestnut, maple, oak
and sycamore. The diseases are particularly severe on American
sycamore, white oak and other oaks in the white oak group, as well
as black walnut.
Sometimes, these species can be almost completely defoliated. Red
oaks appear to be less susceptible than the white oaks.
Symptoms on infected leaves range from tiny dead spots to large
34 - 2015 Forest Health Highlights
Oak Anthracnose.
Trees infected with the tar spot fungus typically drop their leaves
earlier than normal in the fall. Tar spots on infected leaves produce
spores that will infect new leaves next spring if weather conditions
are favorable. Maple tar spot infections occur most commonly in
years when spring weather is cool and wet.
With this shoot blight phase, we are seeing some leaves that are
infected first via the petioles as the fungus spreads from twig
cankers and moves from the base of leaf petioles. Leaves with
damaged petioles that were infected with the anthracnose fungus,
have petioles that are leathery and tough. The petiole-infected
leaves had the water and nutrient supply cut off by the fungal
infection and they turned a generalized off-color as they declined.
Maples
Leaf blight of maples caused by Anthracnose fungi was also widely
reported. In addition, maple tar spot (Rhytisma spp.) was prevalent
again in areas affected for the last few years. This is a blight of
varieties of Norway maples, including Crimson King and Schwedler
maple. Beginning in late July or August, patches of raised black areas
on the upper leaf surface of Norway maples begin appearing. These
Forest Health
Cooperator Reports
Protecting the health of Michigans forests is a challenging task.
Universities, state and federal agencies work in partnership to ensure
that research and detection activities are effective and timely.
Michigan Department of
Agriculture and Rural Development
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) was detected on four properties
in Ottawa and two properties in Muskegon County in 2015. These
were the first locations in which HWA has been found infesting
native forest hemlock in Michigan.
There are no known established
populations of HWA anywhere
else in Michigan. Past and present
HWA infestations in Michigan have
been reported by landscapers,
arborists, and other alert citizens
knowledgeable about HWA and its
potential impacts.
Prior to 2015, HWA had been
found infesting landscape hemlock
in Emmet (2006, 2007, 2010),
Macomb (2010 - two locations),
Ottawa (2010 - two locations),
Berrien (2012) and Allegan (2013)
counties. Eradication efforts were
initiated at each of the locations
Hemlock woolly adelgid-infested
the year they were detected. To
hemlock branch in Ottawa County,
date, surveys indicate no evidence Michigan. Photo courtesy of MDARD.
that HWA persists at any of these
locations.
So far, no clear source of the infestations has been found. It is likely
that hemlock nursery stock was brought to Michigan from infested
areas of the country either prior to, or in violation of, the Michigan
Department of Agriculture and Rural Developments (MDARD) Hemlock
Woolly Adelgid Quarantine was implemented in 2002. The quarantine
restricts the movement of hemlock into the state, and includes a ban on
movement of hemlock into the state from infested areas.
Delimit survey work has begun at the locations detected in 2015. In
Ottawa County, infested trees at three of the four properties have
been treated. In Muskegon County, infested trees at one of the two
properties have been treated. Plans are being made to treat infested
trees at additional locations in 2016. Treatments consisted of a
soil-injected application of dinotefuran. Samples collected in early
November from the treated trees, and analyzed by MSU Entomology
Department staff, indicated that treatments were very effective.
Samples of the HWA in Muskegon County were collected and sent to
the U.S. Forest Service for genetic testing in an attempt to determine
if they are eastern North American clones, or whether they could be
an introduction from western North America. This information will
help MDARD refine and improve its HWA regulatory activities.
A HWA response group with representation from MDARD/ Pesticide
and Plant Pest Management Division, MSU Entomology Department
and Michigan Department of Natural Resources Forest Resource
Division has been working to development a HWA assessment
plan. The assessment plan will be used to inform those from which
funds to increase and continue response activities are being sought.
Activities at the infestation sites have been supported in part by a
Forest Health Protection grant from the U.S. Forest Service.
2015 Forest Health Highlights - 37
certificates for ash logs and lumber being shipped internationally. The
movement of any article regulated by the EAB Quarantine from the
Lower Peninsula (L.P) to the U.P. continues to be prohibited, except
with a current and valid Compliance Agreement.
For more information about EAB visit www.emeraldashborer.info or
visit the MDARD EAB website at www.michigan.gov/eab.
of the new exit holes and woodpecker holes indicate the number
of EAB that successfully developed that year. The holes are stapled
to ensure they are not re-counted in subsequent years. We have not
treated the trees since 2012, but we have continued to monitor their
condition and count EAB exit holes and woodpecker holes.
Exit holes left by emerging EAB beetles and woodpecker holes
peaked in 2008. On average, there were 14 to 27 EAB exits/
woodpecker holes per m2 of surface area on treated trees and 53
per m2 on the surviving control trees. By 2010, 10 of the 32 trees had
died, including five of the untreated controls and one or two trees in
each insecticide treatment.
Beginning in 2011, however, the EAB population in the area dropped
substantially. We found very few new exits or woodpecks on any
trees in 2011 or 2012, which led to our decision to stop applying the
insecticides. Residues in the foliage of treated trees declined rapidly
and were generally undetectable in 2013.
The number of EAB exits or woodpecks has remained very low since
then. On average, we found less than two exits/woodpecker holes
per m2 in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Trees that had been attacked by EAB
in between 2006 and 2010 appear to be recovering.
Canopies look good and trees are growing well. While EAB is clearly
present in the area, the local EAB population is not high enough
to overwhelm and kill trees. Our previous studies have shown EAB
beetles prefer green ash over white ash. Given the lack of live green
ash trees in this area, it seems likely that the white ash trees have
effectively survived the EAB invasion.
Dr. Deborah
McCullough,
Michigan State
University professor,
injects an infested
beech tree with
TreeAzin.
the Pentra Bark breaks down the wax secreted by the beech scale
insects, it could effectively provide a non-toxic means to control
the insects. In addition, we will monitor aspects of the life history of
beech scale, including egg production, hatch rates, development
and survival of scale life stages. Collaborators, Dr. Jean Berube (CFS)
to 30 feet from ash trees along the edge of a wooded area. This trap
design incorporates both visual cues (color, sun) and olfactory cues
(volatile compounds in the lures) to attract EAB beetles.
Studies in 2015 included collaborating with U.S. Forest Service
researchers to compare standard DD traps with two dark purple
prisms to DD traps with green prisms on top and a lighter shade of
purple on the bottom. The green-light purple DD traps captured
more EAB overall than the DDs with two dark purple prisms. Sex
ratios of EAB captured on the green-purple traps, however, were
highly male-biased, while the dark purple prisms captured a higher
proportion of females. This is potentially interesting given that
mature female EAB are able to fly farther than males and, if mated,
can initiate new infestations. We also assessed inexpensive methods
to increase EAB attraction to DD traps. Small disco balls or mirrors
to reflect sunlight onto the panels were evaluated but did little to
improve EAB captures.
We continued to collaborate with several other scientists to evaluate
different lures and trap designs. Our portion of the project involved
setting up four blocks of traps in each of two sites with low EAB
densities in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Each block included a
standard DD trap and a green-light purple DD trap, one purple
canopy trap distributed by U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service for the national EAB detection
survey, a dark green canopy trap used in Canada and a green
funnel trap. All traps were baited with a cis-3-hexenol lures and the
green canopy trap was also baited with cis-lactone, a short range
EAB pheromone. Similar designs were set up in sites in Ontario,
Pennsylvania and Ohio. Data analysis is underway.
Maple
Walnut
Hemlock
This project was funded in whole or in part through a grant awarded by the
USDA, Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry.
The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.